NS_E_DVD_DEVICE_CONTENTION (0XC00D1170) fix — DVD in use by another program

Quick answer for pros

Open Task Manager, kill wmplayer.exe and any DVD-related processes (like vlc.exe or powerdvd.exe). Then restart Windows Media Player. That fixes it 9 times out of 10.

Why this happens

This error shows up when Windows Media Player can't access your DVD drive because something else already locked it. The culprit is almost always a background media app — maybe VLC left running, maybe PowerDVD didn't close properly, or a tray icon like "DVD Region Free" hung. I've also seen third-party DVD rippers (like HandBrake or MakeMKV) hold the drive open after a failed job. The drive itself isn't broken. It's just stuck in a "busy" state.

Here's the ugly part: sometimes Windows itself holds the drive. Windows Media Center on older systems (Windows 7) or the "Autorun" service can trigger this. On Windows 10 and 11, it's rarer but still happens.

Fix steps — do these in order

1. Close every DVD app manually. Check your taskbar and system tray (the little arrow near the clock). Right-click any media player icon and choose Exit. Don't just minimize — actually quit them.
2. Kill leftover processes. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Look for these in the Processes tab:
   • wmplayer.exe
   • vlc.exe
   • powerdvd.exe
   • anydvd.exe (if you use AnyDVD)
   • dvdplay.exe
   Select each one and click End Task. If you see svchost.exe under Windows Processes, don't touch that — it's system stuff.
3. Restart the DVD drive. Open Device Manager (right-click Start menu > Device Manager). Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives. Right-click your drive and select Disable device. Wait 5 seconds. Then right-click and Enable it again. This forces Windows to reload the driver and release any lock.
4. Try a different player. Open VLC Media Player (free from videolan.org). Go to Media > Open Disc. Select DVD and click Play. If VLC plays fine, the problem is with WMP specifically. If VLC also fails, the drive is still locked — go back to step 2.
5. Restart the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. Press Win + R, type services.msc, hit Enter. Find Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. Right-click and select Restart. This service sometimes hangs onto the drive.

Alternative fixes if the main ones fail

If you've done all that and still see the error, try these:

• Run the DVD troubleshooter. Windows 10 and 11 have one built-in. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. Find "DVD" or "Hardware and Devices" and run it. It rarely works, but it's a checkbox for support calls.
• Check for autorun conflicts. Open Control Panel > AutoPlay. Set "DVD movies" to "Ask me every time" or "Play with Windows Media Player". I've seen third-party DVD menus (like those from Dell or HP) lock the drive.
• Update the DVD drive firmware. Go to your PC or drive manufacturer's support site. Look for a firmware update for your exact DVD/Blu-ray model. This is rare but can fix stubborn locks on older drives (e.g., HL-DT-ST or Optiarc).
• Use Process Explorer to find the lock. Download Microsoft's Process Explorer (free). Press Ctrl + F, type the drive letter (like D:), and hit Search. It'll show you exactly which process has a handle on your DVD drive. Kill that process from there.

Prevention tip

This is a simple one: always close DVD apps properly. Don't just close the window — use File > Exit. If you use multiple players (I know, I do too), pick one as your default and set it in Default Apps in Windows Settings. That way Windows won't hand the drive to a different app every time you insert a disc.

Also, after you finish watching a DVD, wait 10 seconds before ejecting. Some apps write metadata to the disc or update the cache. Yanking the disc early can leave the drive in a locked state.

Bottom line: 90% of the time it's a ghost process. Kill it, restart the drive, and you're done. Don't reinstall drivers or run sfc /scannow unless you enjoy wasting time.